31/03/2013

How to curb the problem of Half baked Graduates.

An article that was
published in the Daily Nation last Tuesday, in the Smart Company pullout, was
titled, ‘Who’s to blame for the half- baked graduates? Some readers offered
these suggestions:

Guru Mwangi- If
intellectual hunger means an absentee lecturer dishing out handouts, then what
is the essence of coming to campus? We should stay at home; the lecturers to
send us the handouts and we (students) read on our own. Intellectual hunger comes
about because one feels inspired to be part of that team that advances
knowledge but who is there to inspire the undergraduates? Majority of students
in campus really try to achieve excellence but without proper guidance, they
can only go so far. Many times it is not lecturers but largely the university
administrations with their 'analogue' bureaucracy are to blame for half baked
graduates. Students are not receiving value for their money which is hardly a
surprise: the university administrations are busy searching for property to
acquire to expand the reach of education to all.

True research is an exception rather than the rule.
Half-baked graduates are a result of a systemic rot. It does not however mean
that all students are guided by vision and determination. On the contrary, we
have university students who have absolutely no sense of academic direction.
But like I said, the university

students need inspiration, and that can only
come from a system characterized by enthusiastic lecturers, visionary but
realistic administrations, transparent and accountable management of time and
financial resources, integration of the practicing corporate and government
professionals in student welfare development and above all; informed guidance
to Form Four graduates by university career guidance departments.

James Njoroge- If
you get a chance to study abroad, do it and you’ll get your eyes more open, how
different the educations systems are. Kenyan Educations system is just too politicized
and not objective to creating a strong workforce for the nation. If we want to
stay competitive to other nations then we have train out students for the
future of our nations, but not to create teaching positions just for political
will.

Joseph Ganga- Old
lecturers’ practice must stop and new practices be made part of this job. They
must continually update their notes and research work, to be in tandem with
what is happening in the rest of the world.

John Mash-
Modulation of results to fit 'normal' curve demotivates public university
student. How does a student feel scoring 78 per cent in provisional results but
is later graded 'C' in final results? This is unfair and immoral.